Spots – Arnel Aquino, SJ

I heard a sad story recently. This person’smom in the province dieda few months ago.But when thefamilyapproached theparishto arrangefor her funeral mass,the parishsaid it was constrained from accepting herbody into the church.Therulewasif someone died without having beensacramentallymarried,mass would not be allowed forhis/hermortal remains in the church.Mass could becelebratedwherever the person was being waked, though—at home or the mortuary—justnot in the church.The rule,it was said,served to “encourage” couples to take sacramental matrimony seriously and todiscourage cohabitation.I was thinking,“But a dead person is no longer married, right?” But more seriously,in thispresentclimate wherechurchauthorities are outed,exposed, and convictedforevengrislier and more traumatizingsinsthana deadperson’scohabitationhistory,to refusehermass in church only exposesall the glaringly thebeam stuck inthe clericalist’seye.

A blind spot,aswe ordinarily understand it, is adisturbinghabit oranegativebehavior or attitude about which thebearerhimself isignorantor refuses to acknowledge.This parable about the “blind leading the blind,”Jesus directed thispolemicatthe Pharisees.We readin the Gospelshow JesuscalledthePharisees,“blind guides.”Theytaughtabout God but did not love God. TheyimposedGod’slaw butdidn’t practice God’s compassion. Worst of all,theytook pains at appearingpure and holy,but privately, theywere “whitewashed tombs,”seethingwith worldlyand carnaldesires.That was the Pharisaic blind spot.Theyfoamedat the mouthoverother people’simpurities,butremainedremorseless over their ownmischief.

We all have blind spots and in differing degrees.But weare mostly very patient with each other’s blind spots, aren’t we?We’revery forgiving. If a person’s blind spotsdon’treallyharmus or our loved ones,even if they’re really annoying,we normallyjustbrush them off, look at each other, roll our eyes,and say, “Oh well, that’s just dad being dad,”or“Mom being mom,” “Father being Father.”Then,we change topic.

But there are blind spots that harm, aren’t there?And unfortunately,it’s par for the course thatthe higher a personrisesinofficialdom,two thingsoftenhappen:(1)theblinderthe personbecomestohis faults,but(2)theless people there arewhoare willing to call his attentionand make him accountablefor them.Consequently, whatwasjust asplinter in his eyebefore isnowawholebeam.Thishappensto the bestpeopleinbothciviland religioussociety:governors, mayors, CEO’s, as well asbishops,superiors,consultors—the bestpeople.Unchecked blindspots turnfor theharmful,especiallywhenofficialwords and deedsdecideour neighbors’fatesand futures—likewhatwillheal themtowards recoveryor what willbreak them irreparably;what willmake them loveChristmoreorwhat willembitterthemaboutthe Church;what willgive them lifeorwhat willdeal them death.

You know, sisters and brothers, and this is my personal opinion, weloseso muchcredibilityand relevanceas pastors,not so much becauseof our beingsinners.You know we are sinners, yet you stillcare for us and loveus.In fact,you have forgiven us our many sins, seenbeyond our faults even when we get in the waybetween you and Godmany times.It’s not because of our being sinners thatwe loseso muchcredibilityand relevance, no.It’sbecause many of ustooloudlycondemn and vociferateagainstthe splintersin youreyes but miss the beam in our own. That’s when we,as Jesus says, “fall into a pit,”whenwebecomeunbelievableand irrelevant, “the blind leading the blind.”

It’s not the first timethatreligiousblind spots have harmed people.Two-thousand years ago, thebeamthat blindedJewishofficialdombecame the verybeam on which they nailed an innocent manto his death. Hetried toshine lightintotheirdarkness. But he was too glaring.So they shut the light out of him.Yet,nobodyelsein the whole wide worldcould lead all of usto Godbetter than thisclear-eyed and wise,pureand loving, credible and relevantGood Shepherdof ours.Inhim alonelurkno blind spots.Justa soft spot…a soft spotforeven the most hardened of sinners.A soft spot for us all.